Hitch rack



L. H. J'Acos.

HITCH RACK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I7. i919.

1,417,385. Pmeuted M23Y 23,1922.

nya,

W/TNESSES: l/VI/ENTH ATTORNEY i tirar 'TES PATENT OFFECE.

HITCH RACK.

To all 107mm it may concern Be it known that l, LniiiioUs H. JACOBS, acitizen of the United States. residing at Carthage, in the county ofDallas and State oit Arkansas, have invented new and useful improvementsin Hitch Racks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a rein or line holding device, and. theprincipal object of the invention is to provide means tor receiving thetree ends of the reins or lines when the driver wishes to t'ree hishands thereof and to prevent the lines dropping under the horse/s feet.

Another object of the invention relates to means for permitting thelines to be easily and quickly placed in the holder and for increasingthe gripping action by the pull oi the horses on the lines.

rlhe invention also consists in certain other 'features of constructionand in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to behereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawingsand specilically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing my invention vin detail, reiterence will be had to theaccompanying' drawings wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which 2 Figurel is a view of a wagon with my invention thereon.

Figure Q is a front view of the device.

Figure 3 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 4 is a view ot the supporting member with the gripping membersremoved.

Figure 5 is a detailed view of one of said members.

In these views, l indicates the supporting member, which is of T-shape,and has its stem provided with a pair of holes 2, said holes passingthrough the stem at right angles to each other. These holes are toreceive the securing means, such as a bolt or the like for connectingthe device with the vehicle body. By means of the two holes the devicemay be placed in front or at the side of the vehicle. The cross-pieceoi' the supporting member carries an upright shaft 3 at each end thereofon which the gripping members -ig are rotatably supported. As shown,said gripping members are eccentrically mounted on said shafts and Ipreferv to form each member of semi-circular form in cross-section andto provide a laterally eX- tending part 5 at each end thereof each ofSpecification of Letters Patent. Patentd lay 23, 1922 Application filedMarch 17, 1919. Serial No. 283,094.

said parts being provided with `an opening to receive the shaft. yTherounded part or' the semi-circular part is corrugated lengthwise so asto provide a gripping surface. Each of said semi-circular Yportions arealso provided with longitudinal openings 6 to reduce the weight of theparts and to save material. A coil spring 7 is located on each shaft andhas one end secured thereto and its upper end secured to a part of thegripping member to hold said members with the semicircular members inengagement with each other. As shown in the drawing, the end ot' thecoil spring passes through a slot 8 in said semi-circular portion intothe opening 6, and engages a bar 9 which holds the end of the spring inengagement with said member. The upper-ends of the members are roundedand are also inclined downwardly towards the roughened surfaces so as todirect the lines into the space between the members. The movement of themembers caused by the springs are limited by a wedgeshape projection 10placed on the cross-piece .of the supporting member midway its ends.

Thus the springs will move the members until their lower edges engagesaid projection when further movement will be prevented. ln thisposition the roughened surfaces of the members are in contact. It willthus be seen that when the driver wishes to leave the vehicle or desiresto let go of the lines he simply passes thel lines over the upper endsof the members and pulls the lines rearwardly to take up the slack. Therounded and inclined ends will direct the lines between the grippingsurfaces of the members and the drawing on the lines rearwardly willpartly rotate the members to permit the lines to pass between the same.Then the lines are released the springs will cause the members to movein the opposite direction to grip the lines between them. Any pull onthe lines by the horses will tend to tighten the grip of the members onsaid lines.

that I claim is A hitch rack of the class described com'- prising aT-shaped supporting member having a stem provided thereon and having apair of folds formed therein arranged at right angles to each other,means for securing the device to the vehicle body7 an upright shaftcarried by the cross piece of the supporting member at each end thereof,grippingmembers rotatably supported on of the coiled spring passesthrough a slot formed in the semi-Circular portion into longitudinalopenings, a bar supporting the end oi the spring and engaging saidopenings to hold the spring in engagement with said members, aWedge-shaped projection provided on the cross piece of the supportingmember midway its ends for limiting the movement of said members.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

LEARCUS H. JACOBS.

